Can we really multitask effectively?

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Can we really multitask effectively?

Thanks for asking.

It's pretty common these days to have to tackle several things at once, like responding to an email while on a work call. Our constant pursuit of productivity leads us to mix various activities simultaneously, whether it's at work, home, or even at school for kids. This blending of at least two tasks at the same time is commonly known as multitasking. When you focus on something that you're doing or creating, the frontal lobes of both halves of your brain communicate, but trying to pull off two things at once shows that things operate differently. How so? In this situation, each hemisphere of the brain deals with a task independently, but doesn't communicate with the other hemisphere. The brain swiftly shifts from one task to another in milliseconds, memorizing the tasks along the way. And previous studies have shown that these tasks aren't actually executed simultaneously. Multiple areas might activate at the same time, but the brain only actually processes one task at any given time. The prefrontal area, situated at the front of the brain, plays a role in coordinating and planning. One thing is for sure, multitasking puts a hefty demand on the brain's energy and effort. Things get even more complex if you're attempting to handle more than two tasks simultaneously. That sees our reaction time extend, errors pile up, and typically at least one of the tasks get abandoned. In a nutshell, our brain might give the impression of handling several activities at once, but it's more an illusion than anything. It's merely juggling between them rapidly and somewhat inefficiently, especially when you go higher than two tasks. Does it depend on the nature of the tasks at all? Experts say that multitasking works best when the functions involved aren't in direct competition. That could be in the case of motor skills and language, for example. The same is also true if we're able to execute those tasks in an automatic and unconscious way, thanks to repetitive learning. A very simple example is walking and talking at the same time. But as soon as it involves tasks which require the same brain functions, like writing a text while having a conversation, multitasking becomes impossible, unless one of the tasks is automatic. For example, you may well be able to write a text while singing a song that you've learned by heart.

People often say that women are better multitaskers. Is there any truth to that? There's actually no concrete evidence for that popular belief. A study published in PLOS One in August 2019 showed that there was no discernible difference between the sexes when it came to multitasking. When the brain is overloaded with various tasks at the same time, both men and women show a similar decline in efficiency.

There you have it.

Now you know whether we can really multitask effectively. In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.

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